In my last update, I mentioned that things were pretty normal and that we didn’t have much personal news. Well, just three days later, everything changed—and July turned out to be anything but ordinary.
The specialist ordered X-rays and admitted Maudilio right away. The infection was serious and spreading quickly, requiring two IV antibiotics. The pin from the first surgery was infected and causing more damage, so he needed a second surgery.
The doctor did everything he could to save Maudilio’s fingers, but unfortunately had to remove the tip of his middle finger due to severe infection. Still, he saved more than we thought possible.
Maudilio is now recovering well. His wounds are healing, and this second doctor’s care has been excellent. However, an X-ray from yesterday showed that the bone in his ring finger isn’t healing as we hoped because of complications from the first surgery. The doctor couldn’t place another pin but remains hopeful it will heal naturally.
For the sake of all of you that don’t want to see blood, I won’t post pictures of Maudilio’s hand, I will just show you the original X-ray that shows his crushed fingertips.
Please keep Maudilio in your prayers—for healing of his bones, nerves, and tendons, and for strength and peace for both of us. It’s been a hard month for him physically and for both of us emotionally, but the outpouring of support, prayers, and encouragement from so many of you has been incredible. We’re so thankful for each of you.
Personal Update
If you already know about the medical emergency Maudilio went through, feel free to skip ahead. But for those who don’t follow us on social media, here’s what happened:
On July 11th, Maudilio was in Escuintla working on the water project like he usually does on Fridays. But that day took a scary turn—he got two fingers caught in the hydraulic press on the water bagging machine and nearly severed them. (I threw in a photo of his X-ray from after the accident—no blood or gore, just a sneak peek at what happens when fingers and machinery don’t get along.) His brother rushed him to the nearest private hospital, where he needed emergency surgery to try to save his fingers.
The surgery went well…or so they told us. They placed a pin in his ring finger to help the bone heal and stitched his fingers back up. But there was still a chance he might lose them if circulation didn’t improve. He was released the next day with a follow-up appointment scheduled for a week later.
We shared this news and asked if anyone felt led to help with medical bills. Miraculously, before we even left the hospital, the bills were fully covered by donations! Praise God. We were so grateful and shared our thanks with everyone who gave.
Then more donations kept coming in, more than we expected. Maudilio and I wondered why God provided so abundantly. We decided to wait and see what would happen next.
At the one-week appointment, the doctor was optimistic and removed the stitches… which seemed very premature if you ask me. But, surely the doctor knew what he was doing, right? The removal of the stitches was very painful and caused quite a bit of bleeding. Then the doctor said Maudilio didn’t even need to cover his middle finger anymore, which seemed crazy to me, but we trusted his judgment.
That night, when we took off the bandage, we were shocked to find the wounds open and signs of infection. We immediately took Maudilio to an urgent care center to see a different doctor. Thanks to the extra funds, we were able to make the best choices for his care without worrying about money.
Feeding Program
Because of Maudilio’s injury, we fell behind on moving the feeding program full-time to our property. But two weeks ago, we finally moved the kitchen! It’s so exciting to prepare and cook food right here—no more trips back and forth through town with supplies and food.
Being in one permanent place is already helping relationships grow. We are getting more and more people eating with us consistently. We’ve also continued our Wednesday Bible stories and coloring pages, which the kids absolutely love—even though it sometimes (most of the time) leads to colorful debates over crayons!
Water Project
Also, the water project is going really well! Each week, things are running more smoothly as we find better rhythms and more efficient ways to work. We’ve recently brought on a few great teenagers who are still in school but eager to learn, work, and earn some income. It’s been such a privilege to give them an opportunity to grow—not just by earning money, but by learning valuable job skills and professionalism that will serve them well in the future. Please keep these teens in your prayers as they grow through this experience, both personally and professionally.
Property Update
Our kitchen is really coming together! We now have running water, fresh paint thanks to an amazing team, and a new (to us) gate that looks fantastic. It’s hard to believe how far this place has come since we started.
Along with that, the foundation is done and the walls for the water room are going up. The progress each week is exciting to see. Most recently, another wonderful team helped shovel and move a whole lot of dirt to lay the foundation for a tool shed, which will soon be built to help us stay organized and run more smoothly. We feel so blessed to be entrusted with this space and to watch our dreams for this place become reality.
A lot is happening—and yet, there’s still so much ahead. Right now, we’re doing our best to stretch the funds we have to finish construction on the water room. But honestly, our hope is to keep the momentum going without needing to pause.
Our next big step is building the dining room, where we’ll one day serve meals and gather with the community. After that, we plan to build a bathroom for everyone who comes to join us for lunches and other activities. Each phase brings us closer to the vision we have for this ministry center—but it all takes resources.
Would you prayerfully consider giving toward the construction of Centro Aliento de Vida? Your support would help us move forward without delays and continue building a space where lives are nourished—physically and spiritually.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us directly. Or, you can head to the homepage of our website and click the link labeled “Centro Aliento de Vida” to learn more.
If you made it to the end—thank you! This has been a long update for a long month. We’re so grateful for your prayers, encouragement, and support that carry us through hard months like this. We couldn’t do it without you!
